LA This Week: Jerry Seinfeld, Beirut, and a Legendary Eatery Returns

Here are the five coolest things to do in and around Los Angeles this week

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This week in Los Angeles brings some beloved blasts from the past. Jerry Seinfeld takes a break from driving around and chatting over coffee to perform a stand-up show at Pantages, and Clifton's is finally reopening. This time, they even have a price list. Plus, artist Randy Hage gives new life to classic New York storefronts in his hyper-realistic miniature sculptures, and Beirut and Julia Holter bring their unconventional sounds to the Hollywood Palladium.

October 7–8 | MusicBeirut with Julia HolterZach Condon, leader of the band Beirut, hails from New Mexico, but his group draws inspiration from farther afield: the Balkans, Mexico, and France. Beirut’s newest album, No, No, No, the band’s fourth, could be called indie rock, if indie rock can prominently feature the flugelhorn and the ukulele. Los Angeles native Julia Holter shares the bill at the iconic Hollywood Palladium, melding her angelic voice with organ and keyboards to create a sound that's baroque, alt-pop, and electronic all at once.7 p.m. | Hollywood Palladium, 6215 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood | (323) 962-7600 | $37.50 | website

October 9 | ComedyJerry SeinfeldJerry Seinfeld still commands an audience many years after his namesake TV show went off the air. He's managed to stay relevant, despite starting his career before many of his fellow comics were even born. If you can't ride in a car with Jerry, getting tickets to this rare stand-up show is the next best thing. And yes, he’s a funny as ever.7 p.m. | Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles | (213) 365-3500 | From $59.50 | website

October 10–November 18 | ArtFaçade by Randy HageFlower Pepper Gallery, a relatively new art gallery in Old Pasadena, helps introduce artists to a wider audience by exhibiting works at a range of price points in a relaxed atmosphere. This Saturday is opening night for Façade, a show of miniature storefronts made by artist Randy Hage. The 1/12 scale sculptures capture a rapidly vanishing New York City in intricate detail, right down to the graffiti.11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Flower Pepper Gallery, 121 East Union St., Pasadena | (626) 795-1895 | Free | website

AFAR Local is published every Wednesday, so check back for insider updates on restaurant openings, festivals, exhibitions, shows, weekend escapes, and more. Planning a trip? The AFAR guide to Los Angeles has you covered.

New opening | RestaurantClifton’sGenerations of Angelenos remember lining up at Clifton's cafeteria-style restaurant for classics like Jell-O cups, mashed potatoes, and roast beef sandwiches and paying what they wished. When Clifton’s closed in 2011, after having been in business since 1935, most people wrote it off as a working man's restaurant swallowed up by downtown gentrification. But now, after years of remodeling, Clifton's is back! The new version ramps up the original's outdoorsy theme with a running waterfall, a huge faux redwood, and a pack of taxidermy animals, and the food largely stays true to the old menu, albeit with a price list. The tiki bar is a welcome addition.Clifton’s, 648 S. Broadway., Los Angeles | (213) 627-1673 | website

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Weekend escapeFort Baker, SausalitoMost Angelenos who escape to the Bay Area wind up in San Francisco or Oakland. But to feel like you've really gotten away from it all, head to Fort Baker in the Golden Gate Recreation Area north of San Francisco, next to Sausalito. Founded in the mid-19th century, Fort Baker was a U.S. Army post until the mid 1990s. Visitors today can wander the park-like grounds, which are punctuated by 25 historic army buildings, gun encampments, and a sheltered harbor. The views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge are spectacular, and plenty of hiking and biking trails lead into the surrounding Marin Headlands. Spend the night at Cavallo Point, a lodge and retreat center that comprises a mix of restored former officers' quarters and spacious new rooms, many of which offer towering floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the bay. If you’re a history buff, there is something very special about vacationing here. And even if you aren't, the setting is stunning.

Eva Glettner is a writer and a native Angeleno. She loves art, travel, coffee, and skateboarding.